By Olawale Lamina
The Oxford English Dictionary has recognized several Nigerian-origin words in its latest entries, an indication of increasing global influence of the local language, slangs, culture and cuisine.
The December 2025 update, was released on the OED website on Wednesday, featuring over 500 new words, phrases and senses, including internet slang such as “DM”, “brainfart” and “chug”.
Similarly, more than 1,000 existing entries were also revised, even as lexicographers and editors explored the histories of words such as “troll”, “coffee” and “snooker”.
The new update includes additions from varieties of English used around the world, including West African English, Maltese English, Japanese English and South Korean English, with OED editors noting the growing global influence of these Englishes.
Interestingly some of the Nigerian entries include everyday expressions and food items, namely “amala,” “nyash,” “mammy market,” “moi moi,” “abeg,” “biko,” and “Ghana Must Go.”
The update also included “Afrobeats”, defined as “a style of popular music incorporating elements of West African music and of jazz, soul, and funk.”
“Abeg” is described by the Oxford Dictionary as an interjection used to express contextually a range of emotions, such as surprise, exasperation, disbelief.
“Biko”, originally from the Igbo language, is defined as an adverb and interjection used in polite request or agreement, or to add polite emphasis or urgency: ‘please’.”
Meanwhile, “Nyash” often considered a lewd joke is defined as “a person’s (esp. a woman’s) buttocks; the bottom, the backside.”
The dictionary equally added “Ghana Must Go”, the popular name for the large, chequered plastic bags widely used in West Africa, whose expression traces back to the 1983 mass expulsion of undocumented Ghanaian migrants from Nigeria. It is defined as “A large, zippered bag made of durable plastic with a colourful check pattern, often used for carrying one’s…”
“Mammy market” was recognised as “a market typically run by women, originally found in military barracks but later also in youth service camps and educational institutions.”
In the category of cuisine, the dictionary included “amala”, ( popular among the Yoruba stock and later became Nigeria’s general staple food) made from yam or cassava flour, defined as “a kind of dough made of yam, cassava, or unripe plantain flour, typically formed into a ball and served as an accompaniment to other dishes” and “moi moi”, a dish originating among the Yoruba people, “consisting of beans ground into a smooth paste, mixed with peppers, onions, dried…”
In the latest update, the he Oxford English Dictionary expanded its lexicon with 20 Nigerian words and expressions in a January 2025 update, showcasing the influence of Nigerian English, Pidgin and street slangs on global vocabulary.
About The Author
